


Friendship

by telperion_15



Series: Comfort [2]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Developing Relationship, Friendship, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-15
Updated: 2012-03-15
Packaged: 2017-11-02 00:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/362765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telperion_15/pseuds/telperion_15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of all the people Tom Ryan would have expected to become friends with, Connor Temple had never even crossed his mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for episode 1.04.
> 
> Thanks to fififolle for the beta.

  
Of all the people Tom Ryan would have expected to become friends with, Connor Temple had never even crossed his mind.

But what had started out as nothing more than a drink in order to comfort a young man after the death of his friend had quickly turned into a regular arrangement. Then it had progressed to the odd meal out in between anomalies, take-out and movie nights, and even, on one memorable occasion, a gig by one of Connor’s favourite bands. Although Ryan had rapidly decided that Connor’s taste in music wasn’t quite for him.

He didn’t really understand how it had happened, and when he thought about it objectively, he _knew_ it was strange (and the lads had also pointed this out to him on more than one occasion). After all, what did they have in common? Practically nothing. Ryan was a Special Forces soldier who had travelled all over the world on dangerous assignments he wasn’t allowed to talk about, and Connor was a student who spent most of his time glued to a computer doing things it made Ryan’s brain hurt to think about.

And yet, somehow, they were friends. And Ryan decided that he didn’t really care how it had come about, or what anyone else thought about it. He liked Connor, and they had a good time together. That was all that mattered.

This evening was another take-out and movie night. They took it in turns to provide the food, venue, and film, which on this occasion had led to Ryan standing on the doorstep of Abby’s flat holding a bag of Chinese food, while he wondered uneasily what Connor had picked for their viewing pleasure tonight.

The speakerphone next to the door crackled noisily in response to his pressing of the buzzer, and Abby’s cheerful voice told him to, “Come on up.”

He frowned as he climbed the stairs. Connor hadn’t mentioned that Abby was going to be around. Not that he particularly had a problem with it. He wasn’t precious about their ‘boys nights’, and he liked Abby a lot – she was a lot smarter and easier to talk to than most of the women he’d known in his life. He was just worried that she might find an evening in his and Connor’s company a little dull.

Abby pulled open the door as he approached, smiling as cheerfully as her voice had been and standing back to let him enter.

“Hi,” she said. “Connor’s through there.” She gestured towards the living area. “Make yourself at home.”

“You’re not joining us?” Ryan asked, slightly awkwardly.

Abby waved the rolled-up mat she was carrying. “Yoga class,” she explained. “Then I’m going out for drinks with a couple of colleagues from the zoo. Besides,” she added in a stage whisper, “I know it’s Connor’s turn to choose the movie. That’s a big incentive to go out.”

“Hey!” Connor’s outraged exclamation showed that he’d heard Abby’s not-very-muffled words. “I have great taste in movies!”

“Of course you do, Conn!” Abby called back sarcastically. She winked at Ryan. “Have a good evening.” Then she was gone, clattering down the stairs as Ryan pulled the door shut.

Apprehensively, he made his way into the living area, expecting to see Connor brandishing a copy of _The Empire Strikes Back_ or something – so far he had resisted Connor’s efforts to turn him into at _Star Wars_ fan, much to the younger man’s chagrin.

But no DVD was immediately in evidence. Connor was busily typing on his laptop, the last of his frown at Abby’s disparaging remarks fading, and he waved Ryan towards the kitchen, with a muttered, “You know where the plates are.”

Ryan quickly served up the food, dumping half of the contents of each container on to his and Connor’s plates, and then carrying them back through to the living area.

Connor was now kneeling in front of the DVD player, inserting a disc, and as he set the plates down on the table, Ryan asked, “So what are we watching tonight?” He wondered if he’d been entirely successful at keeping the trepidation from his voice.

“ _Serenity_ ,” replied Connor. “It’s really good. The TV show that it’s based on got cancelled in the middle of its run, so the creator made a movie instead…”

“Connor.” Ryan interrupted him before he got too carried away. “What’s it about?”

“Wild West in space,” was Connor’s succinct summing up. “I really think you’ll like it, Tom,” he insisted. “It’s funny, and one of the characters really likes his guns.”

Ryan rolled his eyes, but decided to give Connor the benefit of the doubt, like he always did. Perhaps the film wouldn’t be too bad.

Actually, it was surprisingly good. Rather cleverer than the average Sci-Fi movie, with proper characters and everything. Although the sly smile Connor had directed at him whenever the gun-toting Jayne got a little too friendly with his gun ‘Vera’ left Ryan in no doubt that a joke was being had at his expense.

When the movie was done, Ryan helped Connor clear up, and then they both relaxed with another beer and talked for a bit. For all his geekiness, Connor was surprisingly erudite – a much better conversationalist than any of the boys in Ryan’s unit, that was for sure. Although he nearly got a smack when he jokingly asked whether Ryan had ever named any of his own weapons.

And soon it was getting late, and Ryan reluctantly decided he’d better make a move. He’d caught the bus over, but elected to splash out on a cab home, since both he and Connor had drunk far too much to make driving an option.

Connor saw him to the door. “Same time next week?” he said.

“Barring inconvenient anomalies,” Ryan said wryly.

“Barring inconvenient anomalies,” Connor agreed.

“Sure thing. My place?”

“Sounds good.”

“That means my movie choice,” Ryan reminded him.

“I can deal with that,” Connor said airily. “Just so long as it’s not the director’s cut of _Apocalypse Now_ or something.”

“Of course not,” Ryan assured him, turning his smile evil on purpose.

Connor looked worried. “Seriously, Tom…” he began.

He was interrupted by the beeping of the cab’s horn outside.

“My place, my movie,” Ryan said firmly. “See you at work.”

Connor’s dismayed expression followed him down the stairs.


End file.
